World News Insights: Opinion Articles

Last week, an investigation by Amnesty International and several media outlets alleged that 37 heads of state, reporters, human rights activists and businessmen had been hacked with spyware developed by the Israeli surveillance company NSO Group. The names came from a leaked list of 50,000 mobile…

How is Donald Trump, six months out of office, able to wield so much influence within the Republican Party? A man who was solidly defeated for re-election; who was unpopular throughout his four years in office and ended those years at a low point; who subsequently, in his second impeachment trial,…

Boris Johnson’s top Brexit official David Frost wasn’t picked to build bridges. Since being elevated to a cabinet position in February, the former whisky lobbyist and proud wearer of Union Jack socks has gleefully lobbed diplomatic grenades at the European Union, accusing Brussels of inflexibility…

The political situation in Lebanon has been exceptional and inflamed for the past 50 years, with declared or dormant civil wars or cold truces amid sectarian jostling for power, and ensuing migration and displacement as a result of invasions and occupations. The Lebanese have come to see this…

Joe Biden and Mustafa al-Kadhimi will not be able to hold a one-on-one meeting today. The shadow of the Iranian supreme leader will be present, just as Qassem Soleimani’s shadow accompanied Iraqi officials during their meetings with US officials. That is why Iraqi officials used to consult with…

Fade to Gray The good news, if the market is to be believed, is that we can forget about the inflation scare. The bad news is that it might also be time to abandon hopes for a strong reopening and economic recovery from the pandemic. Monday saw the worst day in global stock markets in some…

What do rocket strikes by Shiite militias in Iraq, ransomware attacks on targets in the US, and Russia’s use of mercenaries on battlefields in the Middle East have in common? They are part of a trend in which America’s rivals are using nonstate actors and quasi-deniable means to put pressure on its…

“It never rains, but what it pours,” sang Judy Garland to Mickey Rooney in 1938, memorably describing what happens “if Lady Luck should happen to desert you.” You stub your toe, ouch, You hit your elbow, ooh, You bump your head, ooh. You step on a tack and you let out a howl. There’s soap…

As woke culture has led to a reexamination of American language and life, from pronoun usage to calling slaves “the enslaved,” perhaps it is time to look at professional titles. Why for instance should I be called “Professor Cowen,” but few people would address the person fixing their toilet as …

With the first anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion approaching, a shameless petition signed by 28 Lebanese deputies emerged. The signatories are keen on immunity not being lifted from three deputies (all of whom are former ministers). They want the judiciary not to try them. Instead, they want…

In Hong Kong, money has been privately issued since 1846. The bill in my wallet is a promise from HSBC Holdings Plc’s local banking unit to pay the value written on it. In accepting it, I gave no thought to the creditworthiness of the lender. Whoever it’s passed on to will also take the banknote at…

As long ago as 2010, an innocent time when borders were open and pandemics were the subject of TED talks rather than daily headlines, Dutch researchers discovered that most people who go on holiday trips are no happier when they return. Americans, notorious for their workaholism, were said to be…